The importance of reference work with children is indicated in
the next article by the fact that "the subjects on which children
seek information are as varied as those brought by older people,
and the material is equally elusive." Miss Abby L. Sargent
contributed this article to the Library Journal for April, 1895.
Abby Ladd Sargent received her training under her sister, Miss
Mary E. Sargent. She reorganized the Wilmington Library
Association Library in 1890-1891. From 1891 to 1895 she was
librarian of the Middlesex Mechanics Association. In 1895 she
became reference librarian and classifier of the Medford Public
Library, where her sister was librarian. In 1910, after her
sister's death, she became librarian of the Medford Public
Library. In 1900 she organized and purchased books for the
Owatonna, Minnesota, Public Library. She has been instructor in
the Expansive Classification in Simmons College Library School
since its opening. Miss Sargent was joint editor and compiler of
Sargent's "Reading for the young," and its supplement.
Let us suppose that the momentous problem is solved of persuading
children to use the library for more serious purpose than to find
a book "as good as 'Mark the match boy,' " and that we are trying
to convince children that the library is infallible, and can
furnish information on whatever they wish to know about--whether
it is some boy who comes on the busiest morning of the week, to
find out how to make a puppet show in time to give an afternoon
exhibition, or some high-school girl who rushes over in the 20
minutes' recess to write an exhaustive treatise on women's
colleges.
It is unnecessary to say that the fewer books the library can
supply the more must those few be forced to yield. A large
library, with unlimited volumes, meets few of the difficulties
which beset smaller and poorer institutions.
If the librarian can name at once "a poem about Henry of
Navarre," or tell who wrote "by the rude bridge that arched the
flood," and on what monument it is engraved, can furnish material
for debate on "the Chinese question," "which city should have the
new normal school," "who was Mother Goose," or on any possible or
impossible subject, she gains at once the confidence of the
severest of critics, and is sure of their future patronage.
The subjects on which children seek information are as varied as
those brought by older people and the material is equally
elusive. Perhaps the hardest questions to answer are about the
allusions which are found in literature studies, and which
frequently the teacher who has given the question cannot answer.
I find it helpful whenever I come across material of this nature
to make a reference to it in the catalog, and, in fact, to
analyze carefully all juvenile books, not fiction, whose titles
give no hint of the contents. A great many books otherwise
valueless become thus most useful, especially if one is pressed
for time.
Mr. Jones, in his "Special reading lists," gives many such
references to juvenile literature. Books like Ingersoll's
"Country cousins," which contains an article on shell money, also
an account of Professor Agassiz's laboratory at Newport; Mary
Bamford's "Talks by queer folks," giving many of the
superstitions prevalent about animals; the set of books by Uncle
Lawrence, "Young folks' ideas," "Queries," and "Whys and
wherefores," recently republished under the title "Science in
story," and others of this sort, if carefully indexed, answer
many of the questions brought every day by children, and amply
repay for the trouble. For even if juvenile books are classified
on the shelves, much time is wasted in going through many
indexes.
A wide-awake teacher often gives his pupils the events of the day
to study, and if they cannot grasp the situation from the daily
papers, juvenile periodicals furnish the best material. For this
a classified index is indispensable; it makes available accounts
of the workings of government, the weather bureau, mint, and
other intangible topics. Until the recent publication of Capt.
King's "Cadet days," I knew of no other place to find any
description of West Point routine outside of Boynton's or
Cullum's histories. One glimpse of either would convince any boy
he would rather try some other subject.
A short article often suffices to give the main facts. My
experience, both as teacher and librarian, persuades me that the
average child is eminently statistical. "A horse is an animal
with four legs--one at each corner," is fairly representative of
the kind of information he seeks. When he becomes diffuse, we may
feel sure he has had help. Sissy Jupes are of course to be found,
who cannot grapple with facts.
Working on this principle, I have made liberal use of a book
issued by the U. S. Government--"The growth of industrial art."
It gives, in pictures, with only a line or two of description,
the progress of different industries--such as the locomotive,
from the clumsy engine of 1802 to the elaborate machinery of the
present day; the evolution of lighting, from the pine-knot and
tallow-dip to the electric light; methods of signalling, from the
Indian fire-signal to the telegraph; time-keeping, etc. A child
will get more ideas from one page of pictures than from a dozen
or more pages of description and hard words.
If lack of space compels one to deny the privilege of going to
the shelves, it seems to me more essential for children to have
ready access to reference-books, and especially to be taught how
to use them, than for grown-up people. The youngest soon learn to
use "Historical notebooks," Champlin's Cyclopaedias, Hopkins'
"Experimental science," "Boys' and Girls' handy books," and
others of miscellaneous contents. If they have a mechanical bent
they will help themselves from Amateur Work or "Electrical
toy-making"; if musical, from Mrs. Lillie's "Story of music" or
Dole's "Famous composers"; if they have ethical subjects to write
about, they find what they need in Edith Wiggin's "Lessons in
manners," Everett's "Ethics for young people," or Miss Ryder's
books, which give excellent advice in spite of their
objectionable titles. They can find help in their nature studies
in Gibson's "Sharp-eyes," Lovell's "Nature's wonder workers,"
Mrs. Dana's "How to know the wild flowers," or turn to Mrs.
Bolton's or Lydia Farmer's books to learn about famous people, if
they are encouraged to do so. These, of course, are only a few of
the books which can be used in this way. As the different
holidays come round there are frequent applications for the
customs of those days, or for appropriate selections for school
or festival. Miss Matthews and Miss Ruhl have helped us out in
their "Memorial day selections," and McCaskey's "Christmas in
song, sketch, and story," and the "Yule-tide collection" give
great variety. If the juvenile periodicals do not furnish the
customs, they can, of course, be found in Brand's "Popular
antiquities," or Chambers's "Book of days." It is necessary
sometimes to use the books for older people, since there is a
point where childhood and grown-up-hood meet. I was recently
obliged to give quite a small child Knight's "Mechanical
dictionary," to find out when and where weather-vanes were first
used, and to give a grammar-school girl Mrs. Farmer's "What
America owes to women," for material for a graduating essay.
A few excellent suggestions for general reference work are given
in Miss Plummer's "Hints to small libraries"; but in spite of all
the aids at command there come times when our only resource is to
follow the adage, "look till you find it and your labor won't be
lost," and to accept the advice of Cap'n Cuttle, "When found,
make a note on't."